Reflection
by CaptColdHasTheTARDIS
Summary: John meets a friend in an alley for a favor, only to be ambushed, gaining a few bumps and bruises for his trouble. One of these bruises, however, turns out to be more than any old mark, and it just might lead him into more trouble than he's worth


Disclaimer: I do not own any characters pertaining to Constantine or Hellblazer. All rights to those characters belong to their respective owners and creators, etc. No copyright infringement intended. The story is my own, except parts that include anything to do with Roman Mythology(Which might not be totally correct, keep in mind I'm only using it as a point of inspiration) or elements from the NBC Constantine television show or the Hellblazer DC Vertigo comic series. I do hope you continue on reading and enjoy the ride. I will update at an irregular pace, please excuse me for that fault, I am not all that great at writing honestly, I treat this as practice so there will definitely be flaws. If that deters you from my story, I greatly apologize and hope you have a good day. I will be forming characters and plot based on Roman Mythology, but I do not intend to follow too closely to their original stories so don't quote me on anything. I have no beta so if there are any mistakes, I will catch them eventually as I reread the content an obsessive amount of times while I try writing the next installment. If there are any questions, feel free to ask them and I will try to answer them as soon as possible. If you have still decided to read this story after all this rambling, I greatly appreciate it and thank you profusely.. **Update: yes, i really really apologize for not continuing this piece, there was a..death in the family that has greatly affected me. It kept me from writing for some time but I've gotten better over the past couple of months and I've slowly picked it up again. Time has passed and with that my tastes and style(I think) have changed, so please forgive me if this story becomes inconsistent. I might diverge from my original plans. it'll be a slow proces, but I'll try my best. Again,many apologies to those who I had let down during that period. I have added just a bit to the original first chapter here, I didn't think I ended it properly and this seems marginally better. I hope..

/O\\\

John turned the key in the ignition to the off position and sat in relative silence inside the cab of the old truck he and Chas were borrowing from Zed. The taxi was in the shop. Again. Because of John. Also not for the first time ever. He listened to the rain beat against the aging metal frame as he reflected on that case they decided to take on as a favor to a friend last week.

OoOoxOoOoOxoOoOo

His "friend" called him from some hole in the ground in Cincinnati for what was just supposed to be a simple exorcism, but it turned into a street battle of sorts with two low-rate sorcerers. They weren't very experienced, judging by the way they cast their spells, but damn they were unnaturally strong. One of 'em even managed to nick him well enough on the left shoulder that it was still somewhat sore, he massaged it remembering the blinding blue flash that knocked him flat on his arse. When they went to meet this guy in the alley behind an electronics store where customers were scarce, John caught the faint sense of unwanted company nearby and he knew he should have acted on instinct, but before he knew it his now former friend was descending upon them.

He could _feel_ more than he _heard_ his best friend's loud grunt beside him as one of the tossers lobbed a knee into his mid-section, he blocked the next blow from their apparent leader and easily tossed him into the row of trashcans that lined the store's brick exterior. John whipped around in time to see Zed swing an old golf club she grabbed from the junk that had landed at their feet, aiming for the purple head of one thug and missing as he ducked and directed a ball of energy at her, sending her flying backwards and into the side of a florist's delivery van that happened to be parked several feet away. Chas, having beaten back the other sorcerer for a moment, bull rushed the guy while he was aiming another ball at John and they both collapsed to the ground, deflecting the energy just mere inches away from where he stood. The ground shook with the force of the impact, almost causing John's knees to buckle, but he held onto his bearings as shards of rubble pelted his skin. When He looked behind him where the blast hit, there was a good sized chunk of the building carved out where the laptop section had apparently been as there were now several of them hanging by their exposed wires from the edge of the newly added hole, charred and all. "Bloody hell" he muttered under his breath in slight astonishment.

John returned his attention forward and ran across the alley to check on Zed, only to find her unconscious with a small amount of blood trailing from her temple down her cheek. He looked around to try and find maybe even a small niche to hide her from danger, no such luck because all he saw was Chas getting overwhelmed. He needed to hurry back so he rounded the side of the van to check if the last delivery man had forgotten to lock the doors, John took a quick breath and lifted the handle, and open fuckin' sesame, he shoved the passenger's door aside and went back around to drag Zed away and lay her against the seat as carefully as he could before shutting her in. He hurried to Chas' aid and threw a clothesline towards the younger looking of the two, the impact so hard it nearly separated his head from his body and in turn John's arm from his own.

He was distracted shaking out the pins and needles that were making their way up his outstretched limb that he didn't see the flash of purple and blue that came at him from the left. Chas yelled out, but it was far too late, the sorcerer had already flung his arm and John turned in time only to see his face before he was knocked backwards, landing at his best friend's feet. When he groggily came to forty seconds later he was met with a blinding pain shooting through his entire upper left side, his vision of the world around him was swimming and he barely noticed the figure of a person slowly but surely coming closer to him. Or at least it seemed slow, John shook his head to try and clear the foggy feeling he felt surrounding his brain, it made his vision more clear but everything still seemed to continue on in slow motion and he couldn't tell if it was his brain that was on the fritz or if it was outside interference. The figure, no longer a watery splotch, was Chas running to kneel over him. John lifted his good arm towards him and he took John's hand in his own with the rare expression of fear on his long face. When he looked down at himself he immediately knew why, there was blood soaking through his white button up and it was starting to make a fist sized spot on the shoulder of the tan trench coat he took with him everywhere no matter the weather. "Oh Cha-it's just a scratch mate, don't worry bout me yeah? I'll be fine" he said with a little sideways grin which turned into a grimace when he tried to pat Chas on the chest with his unoccupied hand, "Don't move John, it doesn't look good." Chas did his best to gingerly peel off John's coat, trying to hide his own grimace when he whimpered in pain trying to get his injured arm out of the sleeve.

"Wh-where's he?" John enquired breathlessly after settling his head against the coat which Chas bunched up under him, "What?"

"The guy, where is he?"

"I think he went to find his friend, don't worry about him, we need to stop this bleeding." John groaned and Chas began to take off his sweater to press against his bleeding shoulder but halted when he saw more blinding light out of the corner of his eye, he was getting really tired of these guys. He wasn't going to be able to move John in time so he was going to have to fend them off by himself, he went to stand but his hand was still in John's and he was promptly pulled back down, barely catching himself from completely crushing his friend. "John what are doing" he said staring into the blonde's tired face, "Just wait" he said, smiling again. Chas looked at him incredulously and begin to lift himself off again, but John held onto him firmly despite the pain and jerked his head towards the space behind Chas, indicating for him to look. "Just wait" he repeated. Chas heard the squeal of tires and he finally swung his head around.

OoOoOxoOoOoOoxOoOoO

Zed blinked in semi-darkness and tried to take a deep breath and stopped short at the pain that bloomed in her chest. Something was definitely broken she thought as she wrapped a careful arm around her ribs. She took in her surroundings and everything rushed back in an instant, although she couldn't remember getting into a car. No, van, she was in a van she realized when she looked behind her seat to see wide empty space. Empty except for stray leaves and the smell of gardenias, which she wrinkled her nose at. Suddenly a bright light began to fill the inside of the vehicle and she turned to find the source standing in the middle of the alley, several feet away from her companions, getting ready to fire off another one of those things that swept her off her own feet. She knew she wouldn't be able to carry herself on her own legs over to them in time, but maybe the van could. She climbed over the center console despite the pain burning in her lungs and settled into the driver's seat, frantically searching for keys in cup holders and a glove compartment. The Light was growing brighter as seconds ticked by. She flipped down the sun visors and Bingo, a single key attached to an eight ball chain landed in her lap and she fumbled with it trying to get it into the ignition. Without much flair she got it into the slot and turned the engine over, put the gear in drive and stomped on the pedal. High pitched squeals assaulted her ears when rubber met pavement and the buildings flew by as the van picked up speed.

OoOoxOoOoOxoOoOo

John and Chas lay together in the street to witness Zed's quick wit as the florist's van sped into view and collided with the two assailants, their combined energy puffing out of existence, sending them sailing through the air before appropriately slamming into a dumpster at the end of the alley. John looked up to see Zed at the wheel and flashed her a thumbs up before letting his head fall back unceremoniously. Chas was still in awe when the window nearest to them rolled down, "Hey!" Zed shouted with a wide grin as she rested against the seat still trying to get her breath back. "Hey" John and Chas wearily replied in unison.

"How's John, is he hurt bad?" she asked, "It looks like the blood flow has slowed down but he still needs to get it looked at" Chas answered as he climbed off of his friend and helped him to sit up, supporting him from him behind. "Oh c'mon, I said it was just a scratch-argh!" he cried out as Chas helped him to stand. "Sure John, a scratch, in the mean time we need to get the hell out of here before somebody else starts flinging stuff at us"

"It should be me, _I_ should be flinging stuff at _them_ , the bloody idiots" he muttered. Chas propped John against the passenger side so he could slide the side door open and place the blonde inside. "Oi, I don't need to be man 'andled alright" he batted away Chas' hands, who just rolled his eyes at his friend's petulance and handed him his coat, which desperately needed a washing. John brushed away stray gravel before patting the pockets and breathing a sigh of relief when he found that his pack of Silk Cut was still intact. He tapped out a cigarette, placed it between his lips and palmed his pockets for his lighter, coming up empty he started to check his coat when a flame appeared before his face. The flame came from his lighter in Chas' hand, he raised his eyebrows at him but he was appreciative nonetheless. He saw the smug look he wore as he stared at him from out of the side of his eye while he dipped the cigarette into the warmth of the fire. His eyes fell closed at the first long drag he took, holding it in until it burned before blowing all the smoke into the cold night air past the frame of Chas' body, which loomed over him as he leaned into the van with one arm holding on to the roof. He watched as bliss danced its way over the younger man's features, the feeling of something akin to relief washing over him as his friend took in the small comfort, warring with the concern that steadily rose in his stomach.

Zed rolled her eyes and shook her head at the two with a small laugh. Whether they heard her or not, they didn't make it known, they just carried on in silence. Truth be told she wish they would just cut the crap, but maybe it was just always their way, even before she entered the fold. She was tired of the tension that surrounded them at times, but they had their moments.

John undid his maroon tie and threw it to Chas without preamble and unbuttoned his shirt most of the way so he could get a good look at his wound. When he moved the shirt aside there was no longer any bleeding, which really surprised him as he looked down at himself. What surprised him even more was the mangled flesh surrounding a deep green symbol that seemed to be branded into his skin, as a matter of fact he could smell his flesh as if it was still being singed. "What the hell is that?" Chas asked, reaching out cautiously to touch the mark that covered his shoulder and some of his collarbone. John's hand shot up and quickly lifted his overgrown hand off.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, I just"

He cut him off with a shake of his head.

"I don't know what kind magic this is yet, your hand could fall off for all I know" he replied with the cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, smoke curling around his jaw. The symbol seemed to still be forming, at first it was just some curved lines, now it seemed like small wings were beginning to form around a small but thick line: [image omitted] that's all he could make out for the time being, it was still moving, but only in very slow and minute increments. He didn't know what he was in for, but from the looks of this ghastly thing it probably wasn't going to be good. Fun maybe, but not good.

John could smell rain in the air so he put out his cigarette and pulled Chas into the back of the van with his good arm and shut the sliding door. He tapped the metal side to signal Zed that they were safe and ready to go. And just like that the van revved and took off, far out of the ruins of that back alley and onto the city streets until you could only see two small red taillights.

And there they sat in the dark, the girl psychic in the driver's seat blowing past a stop light and the blonde exorcist leaning into his overgrown companion in the back among discarded leaves and the smell of gardenias.

OoOoOoxOoOoOoOxoOoOo

John stepped out of the borrowed truck and into the pouring rain, flipping up the collar of his coat which was still mucked up from the past week's events. He rushed across the damp parking lot until he made it to the entrance of the motel he and Chas were staying in, then he looked back at the world drowning for an instance before pulling one of the glass doors open and stepping into the lobby, muggy only in the way that a good rain can bring on.

When he stepped into room 221 he found Chas asleep on the single queen-size that they were to share, what with all the rain that's been coming in full force since that night, every traveler and tourist had taken up any space available, leaving them with whatever the motel had left to spare. The big galoot apparently fell asleep unpacking, the evidence spread about the room, half of it in drawers and the other half still sitting in their packs on the window seat waiting to be put away. John shook his head and chuckled at the whole scene and shucked off his coat, hanging it on the hook beside the doorway to dry. He went inside the bathroom and grabbed a towel to rub the rain out of his hair as he made his way back to finish what Chas started.

Fifteen minutes had passed while he went back and forth putting things in their places, and he was finally done. All he had to do was tuck their toiletries into their own little niches in the small but relatively practical bathroom they were afforded, but that could be dealt with in the next morning or so, whenever the issue arises. Right now he needed a good smoke to relieve the weight of the day. He got up from the window seat where he had been emptying their luggage and started for his coat when he caught a glimpse of himself in one of the few mirrors the motel room had hanging around. He stopped for a moment to take into account the lines and dark circles developing around his eyes and sighed deeply. He, Chas and Zed had spent the last few days trying to do whatever research they could on the mark still growing down his left pectoral muscle. John pulled down the collar of his white button up to reveal the symbol, which had grown quite a bit in a week's time, the "ink" just passing his areola. The picture was clearer now with the thick line becoming a staff and snakes wrapping themselves around it: [image omitted].

A Caduceus is what the books from the library said, they checked out every old, dusty tome they could find with the symbol, and they all pointed out the same thing. At first he recognized it as the symbol every medical institution used on its front doors, but as he read on the text revealed that it was a portrayal of a staff belonging to the messenger of the gods. Mercury, according to Roman mythology.

John stood there wondering what kind of message this was, he couldn't help but feel that everyone was out to get him. Then again why wouldn't they be, he's John Fucking Constantine, right? He scrubbed a hand through his short blonde spikes and let it slide back down his face. He heard a shuffle of movement, then felt a warmth appear at his back and he looked up at his reflection through his fingers to see a large figure looming behind him.

OoOoxOoOoxOoOo

Chas was asleep on the reasonably comfortable queen bed, right up until he heard the door open, footsteps which paused near the foot of the bed then continued on to shut the door with a breathy chuckle. He chose not to get up and instead feigned unconsciousness as his companion moved about the room. He opened a cautious eye occasionally to watch John pace back and forth while humming an old Mucous Membrane favorite, and he had to hide his cheesy grin with a not-all-that-convincing stretch, which would make John cease all movement as if he was worried he had truly woken him before continuing his busy work.

After some time had passed Chas heard weary footsteps drag their way towards the doorway then stop, he thought John was at the foot of their bed again, but when he heard a deep sigh that sounded further away he looked up with both eyes open this time. John was at a mirror with his back to Chas and he seemed to be deep in thought.

After years spent in each other's company, they knew each other all too well, like when John was about to start an argument about something, he knew whether he was being serious or if he was really just mad at himself and he needed to blow off some steam. Chas could tell when John was going to do something stupid or life-threatening way before John even knew it himself. Annd vice versa if he was being honest with himself. He was also way too familiar with the way a particular set of shoulders seemed to sag with the weight of the world when their owner was busy condemning himself. He watched him stew for a moment longer before he quietly rolled out of bed and walked to the hook beside the front door to extract John's pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket. If Chas would've left him to his own devices, it wouldn't be long before he'd reach for something stronger than the burn of nicotine, he was sure of it.

He took the few steps left between the two and sidled up behind John, who still had his face cradled in one hand. He slid the hand with the cigarette pack along the end table that was placed beneath the mirror until it bumped against the calloused hand John had placed there absentmindedly, and for a beating moment soft brown met understanding hazel within the cold glass that reflected them.

John looked down at the pack in Chas' hand, he was grateful to have someone that stayed around long enough to know how his mind worked and _still_ stood by him. He reached for the pack, but stopped short, hovering his hand over it as if he was debating with himself before making the decision to grasp Chas' own, giving it an amorous squeeze. John looked down at their hands wrapped around the small carton together and smiled warmly as he rubbed his thumb in circles against surprisingly soft skin, feeling the tendons tense up once and then completely relax. He felt the larger man's warmth envelope him as he closed the space between them, John's back resting against Chas' strong chest, a long arm holding them close. John took a deep breath and let his head fall back against his shoulder while Chas nosed at his temple and pressed soft lips there for a second before skimming them alongside his throat. John tilted his head further to give him more access, raking a hand through Chas' mid-length hair and gently taking hold of it as he indulged.

John let go of the hand on the end table to slide it along the wrist and arm that wound around his torso, his blunt fingers digging into Chas' forearm as the stagnant air in the room clung to them. Chas brought the now unoccupied hand to rest on the mage's sharp hipbone, gripping it fondly as he mumbled against the skin between John's neck and shoulder, "mm you need to eat more." John's eyelids fluttered closed when he felt his soothing voice rumble its way through his body, making him melt into the man even more, his reply came on a breathy sigh, "I'm fine love, surely I can deal." He let his hand slide down from Chas' hair to caress his scruffy jaw, fingers moving over smooth lips and finding a slight frown there.

John sighed and removed his hands to turn around in the man's embrace, laying his hands upon his shoulders instead and looked up into concerned eyes, "You know me, I always survive one way or another" he said with a small but unconvincing grin. Chas rested his forehead against John's, "Not without me you won't" he countered, bumping noses and drawing ever closer. "Wanker" he clasped his fingers together around his neck and pulled him down those last few inches and brought their lips together in a warm and slow kiss, taking each other in and only breaking apart to draw in a much needed breath, breathing in each other's sighs as they supported one another in this vulnerable moment within the walls of their small motel room.

The close atmosphere was disturbed when there was a turn of the doorknob, a head of curly hair poking through. They took a moment to gather themselves, each smoothing down shirts and hair respectively. "Not to disturb you two, but I've got food" she sang as she dangled an enticing white paper bag of fast food in front of her, stepping pass the threshold and moving between the two to flop on the bed.

"Yeah, thanks a bunch love" said John, his voice laced with sarcasm. Chas slapped his arm lightly as he made a beeline towards the food, "Be nice" he muttered in passing, not at all missing the massive eye roll he got in response.

Chas sat at the head of the bed while John picked up the neglected pack of Silk Cuts and dragged a small chair from the corner to sit beside him, swiveling it around so it was backwards before plopping down with a tired groan. He flipped the carton open and brought it to his lips to pull out a smoke and then he threw it on the nightstand. "So, did you get anything off the books when you laid your hands on 'em?" He asked Zed, who looked up from the burger she had unwrapped in front of her, "Hm? Well I could barely keep a hand on a few, when I touched them my right hand was just on fire." She tugged at the sleeve of her leather jacket unconsciously as if she could still feel flames licking at her skin. John noticed the move and without much thought he snatched her arm, careful to keep his fingers from coming in contact with her skin lest she have another vision, and god forbid she picked up on any lingering feelings from that moment shared between him and Chas just minutes earlier. He brought her arm close, despite her protests and upon closer inspection the psychic's hand appeared to be marred by scorch marks, the majority of the damage present on her blackened palm. She tried to pull it back, but he held on, pulling the cuff back carefully while still trying to keep his skin off of hers. John squinted at the appendage as he asked, "Did you see what did this love?"

He shifted the cigarette in his mouth from one side to the other, Zed watching distractedly as excess ash broke off from the tip, dancing through stagnant air before disintegrating into the peaks and valleys of the rumpled bedsheets below. She breathed in deeply as the outline of an image started to appear in her mind's eye, fire, a point that blazed so brightly it almost drowned out the figure beside it. No, plural, figures. They remained faceless to her as they stared at the scene playing out before them, surrounding the lone man as if accusing him of some unknown crime. Suddenly the solitary figure thrust his arm into the pyre, unflinching as he began a rant of words that sounded too far away for her to make out. It was such an archaic scene, they were dressed in tunics and armor with iron helmets, ornate daggers at their hips. She named off an odd detail here and there for the benefit of her small audience, a faraway look in her eyes remaining throughout. "Its like they were witnessing his punishment or something" she blinked the image away to find herself still facing the mage, though he was now staring at her with narrowed eyes, and his cigarette was now down to a small stub. How long had she had her head up in the clouds? She shook her head to clear the rest of the fog and took a sobering breath, she knew how she could get a better look, if only-

"If you would just let me see the mark on your sho-"

"No"

"Cmon, I've gotten better at this, you and I both know that!"

"Its out of the question" he said with an air of finality and a steel gaze. Chas looked back and forth between the two as they stared each other down in tense silence until Zed finally gave in and lowered her head, seemingly more interested in her meal rather than dragging it out with John. After an awkward moment John relaxed, his shoulders returning back to the state they were in before Zed walked in on them. He was in the process of reaching behind him to grab another cigarette when he heard the psychic mutter under her breath, "What was that love, you're gonna have to speak up,"

"I said, I bumped into a man at the library today."

"And uh, what was so remarkable about this man that you feel the need to share Zed?"

"He-" She looked down at her hand, the right one, she slowly curled it into a fist before continuing, "His hand was burned too. Just like mine, same side and everything." The last part she said almost to her self, but her voice was loud enough for both of her companions to hear anyway. She continued to stare at her hand as if the darkness that stained it would tell her who that man was, where he had come from. John took the moment of silence as a chance to pull out that other cigarette he went for earlier and lit it, shifting it to the side of his mouth he asked, "What did this bloke look like, did he look like our kind of people?"

Zed looked at him confused for a moment but her face softened, signaling that she understood what he really meant. "I-I don't know, maybe? He wasn't some CEO type or something, that's for sure," She balled up her wrapper and threw it towards the trash bin John was currently using as an ashtray, just barely making it in. "Why don't you tell us all about this encounter then" John queried, "In _exact_ detail."

OoOoOxoOoOoOxoOo


End file.
